New Year's Eve: 5 things
by Rogue Cnidarian
Summary: 4 times Daniel and Janet spent New Year's Eve together, and 1 time they didn't


**Category:** Gen, Daniel & Janet friendship/ambivalence/ship. What?  
><strong>Ratingwarnings, etc:** PG. Angst, canonical AUs. Spoilers through S9. ~1000 words.  
><strong>Disclaimer:<strong>No profit is being made and no infringement is intended.

**A/N:** The date sequence is actually in order if you squint at it. No, really.  
>For <strong>dm_lunsford<strong> who requested a timestamp-meme-fic-thingo for "New Year's 2002", and I quote, "_perhaps something set around New Year's 2003_".

I'm pretty sure this is not what she wanted.

xxxxx

_1998_

Tucking her hands deep into her pockets, Janet tilted her head back, watching the colourful bursts.

It was Cassie's second New Year's Eve, and SG-1 had descended on the Fraiser abode to take her to see the Memorial Park firework display. Janet had been a little concerned that the explosions would freak her out, but Cass was loving it. Janet smiled at the thought.

"Here you go," a voice came from behind her. She turned to accept Daniel's offering - an insulated cup full of coffee. They'd mutually decided that they'd risk the inability to sleep later for the dual joys of caffeine and warmth.

"So, welcome to the club," Daniel said, conversationally.

"Club?"

"Yeah, Jack doesn't invite everyone along to these things, you know," he clarified, his tone teasing.

"He kind of had to, if Cassie was going." She didn't mind, it was just fact.

"No, he suggested we ask you along first, and only afterwards did he consider Cassie. We didn't think of her to begin with because we weren't sure how she was with fireworks," Daniel revealed.

Huh. She supposed it was possible he wanted to thank her for trying to save his brain from an Ancient overload.

"Well, then. Do I get a badge? 'Love me, love my alien'."

"Or 'SG Mom'?" He grinned.

"Something like that," she laughed, rolling her eyes in mock-exasperation.

They watched the celebrations in comfortable silence. Janet could make Cassie out through the crowd, leaning into Colonel O'Neill's side, a wheedling hint to her posture.

"'SG-1 plus 1'," Daniel announced, long after Janet thought they'd moved on. She felt a warmth that had nothing to do with the coffee.

"I'll wear it with pride."

_-  
>2001<em>

Daniel watched as the young airman shifted in his sleep, brows furrowed in pain. He drifted across towards the bed. The click of heels, and Janet appeared, seemingly drawn to any discomfort by the need to relieve it. Daniel was convinced she had radar.

He was also sure he wasn't meant to be here, but it was New Year's. It wouldn't be the first time he'd broken the rules. And he wasn't planning to interfere; just as at Christmas, he just needed to be around his friends, even if they couldn't see him.

After fiddling with the IV for a moment, Janet smoothed down the sheet and reached for the airman's wrist. Satisfied, she touched the back of her hand tenderly to his forehead before moving quietly away.

_-  
>2009<em>

Not the best New Year's celebration ever, Janet thought, scanning the room. Sam and Joe were looking everywhere but at each other; Janet hadn't heard anything, but clearly there had been _words_at some point earlier in the evening. Jack was AWOL, just for a change. And Daniel...she had the distinct impression that he didn't want to be there.

She scowled inadvertently at a passing Aschen, but didn't apologise. The joy of all the new medical advances had worn off long ago, leaving her with only the bitter aftertaste of a worthless career.

Someone knocked her arm and she turned the scowl in their direction. Daniel. She lost the scowl as a series of expressions flitted over his face; apology, surprise, guilt. She narrowed her eyes.

"Going somewhere?"

"Uh, yeah, I just remembered I-" he stopped in the face of her disbelieving glare.

"Your work is much more interesting than spending time with your friends. I get it," she said, feeling more resigned than hurt.

Daniel snorted and made a sweeping gesture that somehow took in Teal'c's absence, Jack's self-isolation, and Sam's moody distractedness.

Janet pursed her lips, staying pointedly silent.

Daniel winced. "It's not that you don't count."

Except she didn't.

She blew out a breath. "Go on, go. I can't exactly blame you."

He looked at her for a long moment. She shrugged slightly.

"Happy New Year for later," he said, and slipped outside, leaving her to her thoughts.

_-  
>2003<em>

Daniel was fairly sure it was nearly midnight, but he didn't check. He'd intended to go to sleep hours ago, but somehow he was still dressed. He had sat on the edge of his bed and simply not moved since.

About a month ago, as he'd been making celebration plans with the rest of SG-1, he had joked to Janet that his only aim for this year was to not be in the infirmary again on New Year's Eve.

Well, he wasn't. Even if he had needed to be, he wouldn't have gone near the place. It was too much of a reminder that there would never be any more jokes again.

_-  
>2005<em>

Arms crossed, Janet linked hands with Cassie on her right and Daniel on her left. If he noticed that she gripped his fingers a little harder than necessary, he didn't comment.

_Should auld acquaintance be forgot..._

She had a pretty good idea why he'd been unusually quiet of late. Or, more accurately, since returning from that accidental and miraculous trip to an alternate SGC - one with a cure for the Ori plague. One where she'd been dead.

Cassie laughed, carefree, as the circle they had created contracted and re-formed twice, then broke apart, the revellers dispersing.

"Hey," Janet said, catching Daniel's eye. "Happy New Year."

He curved his hand to the nape of her neck and gently pulled her close. She buried her face into his chest. After a little while, she pulled back to regard him.

"She wasn't forgotten, you know," Janet said, softly.

"How could she be?" he asked, not expecting an answer.

She sighed, thinking of the bittersweet expression on that other Daniel's face.

"Come on. Let's give our New Years greetings to the SG baby," she suggested. "I know Sam said she would stay up, we should give her a call before it gets too much later."

"Go ahead, I'll grab a re-fill and catch you up." Daniel started to move away, then turned back. Janet raised her brow in silent question.

He smiled, the hint of a twinkle back in his eyes, and dropped a kiss on the top of her head. "Happy New Year's to you, too."


End file.
